(Jen Gallardo, Creative Commons)

President Obama presented Congress with a jobs bill, part of which involves transportation funding. He called for Congress to take action on the bill; unfortunately, they were too busy “debating a commemorative coin for baseball” and reaffirming the national motto. Calling out the House of Representatives, and specifically Speaker John Boehner, Obama commented:

“You've been debating a commemorative coin for baseball. You've had legislation reaffirming that ‘In God We Trust’ is our motto. That's not putting people back to work. I trust in God, but God wants to see us help ourselves by putting people back to work.”

Frankly, it is insulting that not only did Congress decide to waste valuable time on a measure that, in essence, violates the basic separation of religion and state, but the vote also happened in the midst of a job crisis for which only Congress has the power to give widespread immediate relief.

Frivolity in a time of crisis should be neither celebrated nor even endorsed, especially by a speaker who continuously berated the president for not having a plan, and for not working hard enough to put America back to work. The president has a plan. He did his part. Now it is time for Congress to do its part, something it cannot do while it wastes its time voting on matters such as what color the flower pots outside the White House should be painted.

Reach Senior Opinion Editor Cara Palmer here or follow her on Twitter.